An automatic rinsing machine is known from EP 2 604 296 A1.
The previously known automatic rinsing machine has a rinsing container which, for its part, provides a rinsing chamber for receiving items to be rinsed to be cleaned and/or disinfected. The rinsing chamber has an opening for loading items to be rinsed to be cleaned and/or disinfected into the rinsing chamber. This opening can be closed in a fluid-tight manner by a lifting door.
The lifting door can be moved in the elevation direction of the automatic rinsing machine. Said door is preferably moved in a motorized manner, for which a drive device is provided. Said drive device has a load-bearing tension unit which is coupled to the lifting door. In the construction previously known from EP 2 604 296 A1, a toothed belt is used as the tension unit.
For increased operational reliability, the automatic rinsing machine according to EP 2 604 296 A1 has a mechanical lock which engages if the tension unit fails, for example due to tearing. For this purpose, the automatic rinsing machine has a locking device which has on one hand a locking lever and on the other an abutment provided with recesses. If the tension unit tears, the spring-pretensioned locking lever of the locking device pivots out and engages in a recess in the abutment, as a result of which the lifting door is locked mechanically. Consequently, when activated, the locking device secures the position of the lifting door, whereby the lifting door is reliably prevented from falling down in an uncontrolled manner.
Although the locking device of the previously known automatic rinsing machines has proved effective in every-day practical use, it is not free from disadvantages. Thus, the construction of the mechanical lock means that the braking effect only takes place during the passage over a recess, provided for this purpose in the abutment. Furthermore, the braking effect occurs suddenly when locking in, which leads to a considerable force being applied to the abutment and is also associated with corresponding noise generation.